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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29514177">Let Me Keep This One (Photo)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/unsink/pseuds/unsink'>unsink</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Former Friends to Maybe Lovers, M/M, Not Beta Read, SakuAtsu Fluff Week 2021, Stolen Photo, Strangers to Lovers, not really strangers they go to the same school, probably incorrect use of a statistical method, why is that not a tag</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 03:07:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,165</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29514177</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/unsink/pseuds/unsink</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Miya Atsumu, really, isn’t always this stupid. Sometimes he just ends up blurting out a haphazard confession to his long-time crush in a bid to keep a stolen photo of him.</p>
<p>[ for the prompt "College AU" of Day 4 of SakuAtsu Fluff Week 2021 ]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>SakuAtsu Fluff Week 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Let Me Keep This One (Photo)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is for the College AU prompt of SakuAtsu Fluff Week 2021. this is my first time ever to join a fan week despite years of being in fandom lol but i am happy to be able to participate!!</p>
<p>the first part of this story came from a dream i had. i had the part of Kiyoomi in it lmao</p>
<p>i hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Miya Atsumu isn’t always this stupid. Ninety percent of the time, he has his wits about him, navigating through each day of his life with a clear and focused mind. </p>
<p>But when he sees Sakusa Kiyoomi on top of the landing of the stairwell leading up to the entrance of a nightclub, there’s something about Sakusa’s dark curls catching onto one of his ears, the intense expression in his eyes trained on the crowd in front of him and the light hitting his face as he looks up at the stairs to angrily squint at the commotion at the entrance—it all makes Atsumu’s brain short-circuit enough to do something stupid.</p>
<p>It doesn’t register to him what he does until he hears the shutter of his cellphone. Atsumu is standing only two steps behind Sakusa so when Sakusa turns his head to follow the sound of a camera shutter going off and finds Atsumu with his phone up and pointed at him, Atsumu doesn’t hesitate—he turns around and bolts.</p>
<p>It’s not easy weaving through the relatively thick crowd moving up to the entrance of the club, but Atsumu’s heart is beating so loud in his chest, he thinks it might fall out if he stops running. </p>
<p>He’s nearing the building entrance now. He doesn’t look back—he knows <em>Sakusa Kiyoomi</em> of all people wouldn’t bother to come chase him—but it’s a comfort to him all the same if he can just get out of there. </p>
<p>“Hey,” he hears a voice from behind him and then he feels a hand on his arm, gripping tight. When he turns around, he’s face-to-face with Sakusa.</p>
<p>He can almost hear his twin Osamu saying, “Yer a dumb fuck, ‘Tsumu.” Right now, Atsumu wishes he’s with Osamu so he can tell him, “Fuck you, ‘Samu!”</p>
<p>Looking at Sakusa, he really wishes he was with Osamu right now.</p>
<p>Atsumu’s eyes widen and his breath catches in his throat. He can’t quite tell what Sakusa’s expression is under the mask, but Sakusa’s eyebrows are furrowed and Atsumu can only assume he’s even more annoyed than he was earlier.</p>
<p>“Why did you take my picture? I know you did, don’t lie to me.” Sakusa’s voice is pinched.</p>
<p>Atsumu can feel himself sweat and his chest feels like it’s going to burst from the panic that’s rising in his throat.</p>
<p>Atsumu feels vulnerable like this, like all that he’s feeling is visible on his face. Sakusa Kiyoomi has always been unreachable to Atsumu, leagues apart from him, and yet here Atsumu continues to stand in the presence of someone beautiful.</p>
<p>Thing is, Atsumu doesn’t regard himself in the best way. He’s annoying, often childish, and loud and raucous. He knows his flaws and he knows them well. He will deny them and he will wear the airs of the world’s most confident man, but he is aware of his imperfections, and so he cannot help but revel when faced with Sakusa Kiyoomi’s beautiful piercing eyes up close like this.</p>
<p>
  <em>How am I within your radar right now?</em>
</p>
<p>But for all of Atsumu’s loudness, he is rendered speechless by Sakusa’s question. In his panic, he blurts out a jumble of words, all at once, “I have the biggest crush on ya ‘m sorry that sounds so creepy” before turning to run away again.</p>
<p>Atsumu doesn’t stop to think if Sakusa even understood a word he said, but the lack of footsteps following him as he runs away tells him that Sakusa heard him clearly.</p>
<p>Miya Atsumu, really, isn’t always this stupid. Sometimes he just ends up blurting out a haphazard confession to his long-time crush in a bid to keep a stolen photo of him.</p>
<p><em>Yer a dumb fuck, ‘Tsumu. </em>It’s his own voice this time.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>The next day at school, Atsumu tries his best <em>not</em> to avoid Sakusa’s usual places to not seem obvious, which he clearly fails at because a regular third year university student who needs a specific book from the university library wouldn’t make a beeline away from it just as he enters its compound.</p>
<p>Granted, it’s a Saturday and there are significantly lesser students, but Atsumu has liked (read: been mildly obsessed with) Sakusa long enough to know that Sakusa spends his Saturdays at school trying to catch up on backlogs, because he spends his Friday nights in a club.</p>
<p>Atsumu sounds like a stalker, he realizes, but when you’ve liked someone for as long as he has, you become hyperaware of everything they do and every place they go to in the only space you both share.</p>
<p>Atsumu’s not sure what made him like Sakusa. He only knows that when they were in 5th grade, much too young to understand much of the world, but still old enough to be allowed the responsibility of navigating the online world, they started talking to each other through a now-obsolete Yahoo! Messenger. They had been classmates that year and, well, they ended up in each other’s contact book.</p>
<p>Atsumu wishes he could remember what they talked about as kids, but he does remember thinking Sakusa was the most interesting person he knew.</p>
<p>And then Sakusa moved to another school the following year and cut contact with nearly everyone.</p>
<p>Atsumu was heartbroken, possibly. There’s probably not much of a heartbreak you can have at 11 years old, but he won’t deny young Atsumu his feelings. Sakusa did, however, leave him the benefit of realizing that Atsumu was, in fact, not straight.</p>
<p>Then Atsumu saw him again in university and stupid, foolish Atsumu, who believes in things like soulmates, fell in love all over again.</p>
<p>Well, fell in <em>like</em> because love? Love is probably Osamu and his boyfriend Suna Rintarou looking at each other like they hold the universe in their eyes, right across Atsumu who begrudgingly takes a bite of his onigiri.</p>
<p>Not that Atsumu is ever gonna tell them that.</p>
<p>“Oi,” he says after swallowing. “Could ya, for one second, control yerselves? ‘m suffering here.”</p>
<p>Osamu turns to him and quirks an eyebrow. “How is that our fault? Yer the one gate-crashing our lunch.”</p>
<p>Sunarin nods sagely, which irritates Atsumu. “Shut up, Sunarin.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t say anything!”</p>
<p>“You didn’t need ta, dickhead,” Atsumu quips.</p>
<p>Sunarin turns to Osamu. “Are you sure <em>he</em> has to be my brother-in-law when we get married?” Sunarin pouts. “Like is there <em>no one else</em>?”</p>
<p>“What the fuck,” Atsumu exclaims, both in irritation and bewilderment. “You’ve talked about marriage?”</p>
<p>Osamu’s expression doesn’t even change. “Yeah. I mean, datin’ since middle school. I don’t think ya can get any surer than that.”</p>
<p>“But what if that changes?” Atsumu belatedly realizes that was probably a rude thing to say to people who have been together for almost 10 years. But neither of them look offended, probably used to Atsumu by now.</p>
<p>“If it does, it does,” Osamu shrugs, like it’s the easiest answer in the world.</p>
<p>“What the hell does that mean?” </p>
<p>“Whatever happens, happens,” Suna supplies.</p>
<p>Atsumu groans. “That is literally unhelpful.” He pauses. “‘m just- I can’t wrap my head around how ya can just meet someone an’ think, ‘’m sure of this one.’ Don’t get it.”</p>
<p>Suna snorts. Atsumu glares at him. “Maybe it’s because you’ve never been in a serious relationship because it’s always just been Sakusa for you.”</p>
<p>Atsumu turns to Osamu, looking incredulous. “You told ‘im?!” he cries, color draining his face.</p>
<p>Atsumu <em>had </em>told them about his predicament, about him taking a picture of Sakusa at the club and then running away and then confessing his feelings. But Atsumu never explicitly mentioned a name, which proves to be useless now.</p>
<p>“Quit being dramatic. ‘Course I did,” Osamu says, suppressing a laugh. “Rin isn’t gonna tell anyone because I said I’d kill ‘im—” he looks pointedly at Rin, who grins. “But c’mon, Tsum, you’ve been in love with this guy for… years. When are ya gonna make a move?”</p>
<p>Atsumu drops his head into his hands. “Shut uppp,” he says, voice muffled. “‘m never gonna do that.”</p>
<p>“Is it the ‘he’s Sakusa an’ I’m me’ thing again? Because if ya keep selling yerself short, I’ll really kill ya. Then all yer chances of being with Sakusa will cease ta exist. Literally.”</p>
<p>Atsumu doesn’t understand why Osamu thinks it <em>wouldn’t </em>be that. Because it’s always been that. At any point in time of Atsumu’s life, it’s always been just him who’s the problem. He’s fully aware that between him and Osamu, it’s Osamu who’s likable. When it comes to friends sticking around, people always just drifted away from him and he also never bothered to reach out.</p>
<p>He doesn’t mind; he makes friends with his demons and drinks coffee with them. It’s just that, it’s told him throughout his life that nobody will ever truly want him. </p>
<p>And the idea that Sakusa Kiyoomi is one of those people makes something fall deep down in his gut.</p>
<p>Maybe Atsumu is a little more than in <em>like</em>. It sure as hell isn’t whatever Osamu and Sunarin have.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Sakusa Kiyoomi is one of those students who spends some Saturdays at the university library, even if he doesn’t have classes, just to catch up on his backlogs. Kiyoomi regrets it every time, but he finds it hard to say no to his cousin Komori Motoya, who drags him along to nightclubs nearly every Friday.</p>
<p>Kiyoomi doesn’t mind accompanying Motoya. He also personally thinks it’s important to maintain social relations with his peers even if he does jump away from them at the slightest touch. He just often ends up dealing with the consequences of going home late the previous night, as proven by the long to-do list he has right now.</p>
<p>Kiyoomi lets out a sigh and looks out the window. He’s seated at the second floor of the library, looking out on the front entrance of the building. He’s staring mindlessly when he spots a familiar mop of blond hair coming into the library compound and stopping abruptly as if he just remembered something, turning by the ankle, and walking away.</p>
<p>Despite himself, Kiyoomi lets out a small smile. It <em>is </em>funny. Maybe.</p>
<p>“Shut up,” Kiyoomi mutters to himself, dropping his smile.</p>
<p>It’s <em>not</em> funny.</p>
<p>He tells Motoya as much when they have lunch later on and Motoya is laughing at him. “Kiyo, really, you can’t be this dense,” Motoya says as he calms down.</p>
<p>“Dense about what?”</p>
<p>“Nothing,” Motoya replies, choosing to eat another mouthful. </p>
<p>Kiyoomi waits until Motoya’s done chewing before he orders, “Elaborate.”</p>
<p>“I said it’s nothing!” Motoya exclaims, waving his hands around, looking amused. “It’s nothing you should worry your head over. It’s perfectly normal to find Miya Atsumu funny. Everyone does.”</p>
<p>“Can you keep your voice down,” Kiyoomi hisses, looking around the cafeteria. Thankfully, it’s mostly empty and the other students are in tables far from theirs. “I don’t want anyone hearing that I find Miy- <em>him </em>entertaining.”</p>
<p>Motoya shakes his head. “Yeah, okay,” he relents, grinning. “You left the club early last night, didn’t even drink, because he took a photo of you. Sure you find him just entertaining.”</p>
<p>Kiyoomi groans. “Just shut up. He has pictures of me I didn’t consent to.”</p>
<p>“You know,” Motoya begins in a tone that says he’s about to suggest something to Kiyoomi that Kiyoomi will not be able to say no to. Kiyoomi is all too familiar with it. “You should find him. Get your pictures deleted if it really bothers you.”</p>
<p>Kiyoomi swears he can see Motoya’s eyebrows wiggle, but he doesn’t dwell on it. “No,” he tells him. He eats his last spoonful and, after swallowing, stands up to bring his tray to the recycling bins. “I’m going to go back to the library. Text me if you need anything.”</p>
<p>“Miya-san is at the pond right now,” Motoya says suddenly and Kiyoomi whips his head towards the direction of the window where Miya Atsumu can be clearly seen feeding the ducks at the university pond.</p>
<p><em>He’s feeding the ducks.</em> Somehow, this makes something tick in Kiyoomi’s brain.</p>
<p>Kiyoomi turns back to Motoya and announces firmly, “I’m going to go to the library.” Like he’s trying to convince Motoya and maybe himself.</p>
<p>Motoya smiles at him knowingly and waves him away. “Go on,” he says. “I’ll text you.”</p>
<p>Kiyoomi nods, brings his tray to the bin, and leaves the cafeteria.</p>
<p>Motoya can’t be right, can he? Whatever Motoya is suggesting, that can’t be it. It just can’t. The last time Kiyoomi ever interacted with Atsumu was all the way back in fifth grade and Kiyoomi thinks Atsumu doesn’t even remember that. Why would he? They talked for a total of 3 months before other interests got in the way and Kiyoomi eventually left town.</p>
<p>Right? He wouldn’t remember that. That was years ago. Childhood memories, in fact. It’s practically nothing.</p>
<p>“It’s practically nothing,” Kiyoomi mutters to himself as he steps onto a stone path.</p>
<p>Wait. The library doesn’t have this stone path.</p>
<p>Kiyoomi looks up and finds himself right in front of the university pond with Miya Atsumu’s crouched figure just a few meters ahead of him.</p>
<p>Without thinking, Kiyoomi quickly hides behind the nearest tree and watches as Atsumu dusts himself off and says a small “goodbye, ducks” before standing up and walking to the opposite direction. Kiyoomi doesn’t find that cute at all. Talking to ducks? Nah.</p>
<p>Still, Kiyoomi finds himself watching Atsumu’s retreating figure. He remembers he needs to get Atsumu to delete the pictures of him, which explains why he’s taking a step forward now into the direction Atsumu went to.</p>
<p><em>It’s to get the pictures deleted</em>, Kiyoomi tells himself as he takes one step after another behind Atsumu.</p>
<p>Atsumu is busy saying hello to everyone he passes by that he doesn’t notice Kiyoomi some meters behind him. </p>
<p>Atsumu walks into the Mathematics department building. Kiyoomi keeps his head low.</p>
<p>Atsumu stops in front of the Dean’s Office and knocks before entering it. Kiyoomi sits at the nearby bench, out of Atsumu’s sight, listening as Atsumu pokes his head into the office and tells the secretary, “Mizutani-senpai, ’m here for my shift. I’ll be out by 2:30.” He enters the office and closes the door behind him. Kiyoomi lets out a breath he didn’t know he’s been holding.</p>
<p>2:30. That’s about an hour from now. Atsumu must be a student assistant here who takes 1-hour shifts on weekends. It’s not an uncommon arrangement for student assistants, but Kiyoomi is surprised to learn Atsumu applied to be one in the first place.</p>
<p>One hour. That’s not such a long time. After Atsumu’s shift, he’ll just come up to him, ask him to delete the photos, and they’ll go on their own ways, never to bump into each other again.</p>
<p>But does Kiyoomi want that? He’s not sure. It would also be hard to completely avoid each other considering that they go to the same university under the same college, albeit different departments.</p>
<p>Why, though? Why doesn’t Kiyoomi want that?</p>
<p>Kiyoomi pulls out his phone and sends a text to Motoya.</p>
<p>
  <em>To: Komori Motoya</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Message: I’ll just come up to him, right? Ask him to delete. Easy.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>From: Komori Motoya</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Message: yes, kiyo</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>To: Komori Motoya</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Message: Then it’s done?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>From: Komori Motoya</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Message: yup.</em>
</p>
<p>Kiyoomi sighs. That was unhelpful.</p>
<p>His phone beeps again.</p>
<p>
  <em>From: Komori Motoya</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Message: unless you don’t want it to end, then that’s fine, too ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)</em>
</p>
<p>Kiyoomi shuts his phone and doesn’t bother with a reply. He just sits there at the bench with his palm on his knee and his leg jiggling, his thoughts a jumble of <em>but do i want it to end what if i don’t but why do i not want it to end what’s so hard about getting somebody to delete my pictures what do i want to happen SAKUSA KIYOOMI MAKE UP YOUR MIND</em></p>
<p>His mind is distressed enough that he barely just notices the bell on the door of the Dean’s Office ring and out comes Miya Atsumu.</p>
<p>Kiyoomi jumps up and moves to hide behind a pillar. He’s sure Atsumu would have noticed him if he didn’t move fast enough because the squeak that the bench made as he stood up briefly takes Atsumu’s attention before he’s called by the secretary again.</p>
<p>The one-hour isn’t up yet. It’s only been 30 minutes or so. Kiyoomi can’t begin to figure out why he’s leaving early. Does he have a prior arrangement? Did he just not have anything to do?</p>
<p>Kiyoomi watches as Atsumu says his goodbyes and walks toward the staircase. Kiyoomi doesn’t know what floor he’s going to so he can’t take the elevator. </p>
<p>Instead, Kiyoomi waits until Atsumu’s gone up each flight of stairs before following him, keeping a distance. Thankfully, Atsumu stops at the third floor and walks into a classroom.</p>
<p>Kiyoomi can’t peek from the classroom doors because it would be too obvious so he chooses to eavesdrop instead.</p>
<p>
  <em>I am at my lowest.</em>
</p>
<p>Kiyoomi can’t even berate himself.</p>
<p>Kiyoomi hears Atsumu say, “Hey, Natsu-chan. Did ya bring yer data?”</p>
<p>“I did!”</p>
<p>Kiyoomi recognizes the responding voice as Hinata Natsu, a freshman in Kiyoomi’s department.</p>
<p>“Thanks so much for volunteering to help with my data, Atsumu-san. I owe you big time.”</p>
<p>Kiyoomi can hear the smile in Atsumu’s voice when he says, “Nah, no worries. Yer like a sister to me.” Or maybe Kiyoomi’s imagining it. What smile?</p>
<p>Kiyoomi only hears the tapping of a keyboard and the clicks of a mouse after that. It’s a while before he hears Atsumu say, “You’re gonna need factor analysis for this.”</p>
<p>“What? Seriously? I’m not done?” Natsu whines, dismayed.</p>
<p>Atsumu laughs, a sound that plants itself into Kiyoomi’s chest. Or maybe throat, which would explain why it feels like something is lodged in it.</p>
<p>Kiyoomi is imagining things again.</p>
<p>“Yeah, too many variables,” Atsumu says.</p>
<p>At that point, Natsu suddenly makes a noise of shock, then she says, “I think there’s somebody by the door.”</p>
<p>Well.</p>
<p>Clearing his mind, Kiyoomi turns to the classroom and walks inside. “Hello, Hinata-san. Miya-san,” he greets them. “I was just..erm..looking for someone.” He gives them a sheepish smile hoping it’s convincing.</p>
<p>Kiyoomi glances at Atsumu then and he’s surprised to find him frozen in his seat and his face nearly drained of color. Natsu notices it, too. She reaches out to him and asks, “Atsumu-san, are you okay? Are you sick?”</p>
<p>This seems to snap Atsumu out of his trance because he quickly gathers up his things and hurriedly tells Natsu, “Natsu-chan, text me later about this. I just remembered I really have to go do somethin’. Talk to ya later. ’m really sorry.” He says this all in one breath, Kiyoomi could barely catch it.</p>
<p>Kiyoomi begins to say “Wait, Ats-” just as Atsumu runs out the door.</p>
<p>Kiyoomi turns back to Natsu and lets out a distressed sigh. “I’m sorry,” he says sincerely, bowing. “That was probably my fault. I can help you with your data instead?” he offers.</p>
<p>Natsu shakes her head. “It’s fine, Sakusa-senpai. We were about done, anyway,” she says, smiling. “I hope you and Atsumu-san get to talk soon, though. It seems serious.”</p>
<p>Why is she perceptive? Kiyoomi doesn’t dwell on it, though. He just nods. “Maybe. Thank you, Hinata-san.”</p>
<p>They both leave the classroom, parting ways at the staircase because Natsu realized she wants to use the elevator instead. Kiyoomi just lets her go her way.</p>
<p>Later in his room, Kiyoomi retells the whole ordeal to Motoya over the phone. “In the end,” he says, sitting on his chair with his elbows on the table. “I couldn’t get him to delete the photos.”</p>
<p>Motoya hums. “You know, Kiyo,” he begins and it’s that <em>tone</em> again. Kiyoomi suppresses a groan. “Have you considered maybe you were following him because Miya Atsumu is nice to look at?”</p>
<p>Kiyoomi hangs up then, annoyed. But even with the radio silence, he can hear Motoya laughing at him.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Atsumu is at Onigiri Miya on a Sunday, working part-time because he’s the best brother in the world. He reminds Osamu of this constantly.</p>
<p>“Sunday has to be the worst day,” Osamu says.</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>Osamu smirks. “Because yer here.”</p>
<p>Atsumu kicks the high chair Osamu is sitting on, making the chair stumble a bit before being set upright by Sunarin, who’s sitting beside Osamu.</p>
<p>The three of them are seated at the counter, back facing the other tables. There are barely any customers because the lunch hour has just passed and most of the population is at home on a Sunday. Osamu just started the small business so they’re doing all they can to work even on weekends. Atsumu really thinks he’s the best <em>and</em> most supportive brother in the world.</p>
<p>“Slow day today,” Sunarin says, still fixing up Osamu’s chair.</p>
<p>Atsumu stretches his arms over his head, yawning. “Lucky me.”</p>
<p>The sound of the bells of the restaurant door signal the entry of a customer. Atsumu is stretching out the kinks in his neck when he hears Osamu say, “Atsumu, take this one, will ya?”</p>
<p>Atsumu blinks out the blur in his vision and begins to stand. “Alright.” He turns around and finds Sakusa Kiyoomi seated at one of the booths, his hands over each other on the table.</p>
<p>Atsumu turns back around to his brother so fast, he bumps his knees onto the chair. “‘Samu, what the fuck,” he hisses, trying to get the latch to the employee door under the counter. “<em>You</em> get this.” He manages to duck his head under the counter when Osamu grabs him by the back of his collar.</p>
<p>“‘Tsumu,” Osamu says. “This is<em> yers</em>.” He shoves the notepad and pen into Atsumu’s arms, pushing a little. </p>
<p>Atsumu hesitates, looking at Osamu and then at Sakusa’s general direction then back to Osamu again. “What do I even say?”</p>
<p>Osamu rolls his eyes. “Ya take his order, dimwit. We’re runnin’ a business here!” Osamu chides, pushing Atsumu towards Sakusa.</p>
<p>Before he knows it, Atsumu finds himself right in front of Sakusa’s booth. He refuses to look Sakusa in the eye. “Um,” he begins, trying to remember the spiel Osamu forced him to memorize. “Um...uh...welc-”</p>
<p>“Miya-san, can we talk?”</p>
<p>Atsumu nearly chokes, feeling the bundle of nervous energy in him snap. He forces himself to talk. “Omi-k- uh, I mean, Sakusa-san, ’m so sorry I took those photos of ya, I promise I’ve already deleted ‘em and I promise I’ll stay out of yer way,” he says in one breath. Only then does he dare to look at Sakusa.</p>
<p>Sakusa is... Well. Atsumu can’t really tell. Sakusa looks confused, which is not the expression he was expecting. Shocked, maybe. Disgusted, even. Confused? Atsumu doesn’t know how to work with <em>confused</em>.</p>
<p>It’s a while before any of them speak again. Atsumu thinks a decade might have actually passed. He discovers, unsurprisingly, that time moves differently when you’re stuck in your own nervousness, frozen with a pen poised on top of a notepad.</p>
<p>“You- you didn’t have to delete it,” Sakusa finally says, voice small, looking up at Atsumu. He looks somewhat shy? Atsumu doesn’t know. His brain is just lost at this point.</p>
<p>“What?” he asks, then he mentally slaps himself. What kind of response is that?</p>
<p>Sakusa clears his throat. “You didn’t have to delete it,” he says. “I can send you another one if you want.”</p>
<p>Is Atsumu dreaming? This has to be a dream. He tries to discreetly poke himself with the tip of the ballpen and winces at the sting.</p>
<p>So. Not a dream.</p>
<p>Sakusa clears his throat again. “I should- I should go,” Sakusa announces, standing up. “I’ll see you again, Atsumu.” He starts to inch himself out of the booth.</p>
<p>Atsumu’s mind spins at the prospect of Sakusa<em> seeing him again</em>, but he rights himself enough to choke out a  “Sakusa, wait!” But Sakusa’s already walked out the front door.</p>
<p>Atsumu’s hands fall to his sides.</p>
<p>“Well, that was weird,” a voice from somewhere in the shop says. Sunarin, probably.</p>
<p>Osamu is at Atsumu’s side, his hand on Atsumu’s shoulder. “‘Tsumu, you okay?”</p>
<p>Atsumu didn’t notice his eyes had started welling up. “’m so confused,” he whispers to Osamu.</p>
<p>“He said he’ll see ya again?” Osamu supplies, rubbing Atsumu’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“I- I don’t-''</p>
<p>A beep from his phone interrupts Atsumu just then. He wipes at his eyes and moves to grab it from his pocket.</p>
<p>Atsumu’s eyes widen upon seeing his screen. It feels like all his tears shoot back up inside his eyes, excitement beginning to take root instead. He looks up towards the glass windows, searching, just as Osamu starts laughing and walking away from him.</p>
<p>Atsumu feels a smile form on his face, hope blooming in his chest. He might even start crying for real.</p>
<p>Sakusa Kiyoomi just Airdropped Atsumu a photo of himself with his number edited over it. </p>
<p>—</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>not my best (tone changed halfway through) but i'm really happy to participate! not sure if this counts as fluff because they barely interacted but it could be pre-fluff haha and i would really like to go back to this universe someday</p>
<p>if you liked it, i hope you can consider leaving a comment or kudos! i would really appreciate it</p>
<p>socials: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mytsmu">twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.curiouscat.qa/unsink">curiouscat</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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